Then the Veterans Peer Corps may be just the right thing for you!
The Veterans Peer Corps allows veterans to continue their service by creating opportunities for veterans to connect! As a Peer Mentor, you schedule events that you’re interested in (or good at!) and then invite others to join you.
Many veterans have a need for support services, including peer-to-peer interaction and connections. Some veterans need to talk about their experiences with combat, deployment, or other situations experienced during their time in the military. Often, there is no better person to talk about these experiences with than another veteran.
This is exactly what the WDVA Veterans Peer Corps does! A Veterans Peer Corps Member is a veteran, or a veteran’s dependent, who receives training and certification and then serves as a peer mentor by facilitating meetings and activities. The Veterans Peer Corps gives veterans places to gather, share experiences and stories, heal together, and ultimately create a sense of a Veteran Community within their own community.
As a Peer Corps Mentor, you’ll have the ability to:
- Build community-based programs that connect veterans from a variety of eras and backgrounds to each other
- Create opportunities for veterans to gather and participate in activities
- Provide training for veteran peer mentors and equip them with information about veterans resources in their communities
- Empower veteran peer mentors to facilitate group and individual mentoring sessions
- Build camaraderie and trust through ongoing coaching, training opportunities, and support forums
Veterans Peer Corps Mentors will work with veterans both in groups and individually to:
- Create opportunities to give back and be involved with their communities
- Create a safe local group setting where veterans can share military stories and experiences
- Participate in activities together and find common interests
- Assist with transition from the military to civilian life
- Provide referrals to local, state, and federal benefits and resources
Want to learn more? Sign up today to attend a training session in Longview, WA on May 12 from 8am to 5pm. Lunch is provided!
Questions? Contact:
Bryan Bales, VPC Coordinator
Phone: 360.725.2237 or Cell: 360.536.5268
bryan.bales@dva.wa.gov